Search This Blog

Monday, June 30, 2014

So, this is almost entirely, but not totally an aside from my normal hobby content.

#1 I've started Weight Watchers.

#2 Weight Watchers is almost perfectly designed for Tabletop Gamers.

Ok, so here's the deal. I need to lose about 30-40 lbs. I'm not too terribly overweight... for an American average. In most of the world, I'd be a free range land cow. I decided to give Weight Watchers a shot.

Here's how it works. Given your current weight, gender, average activity level, etc., you are assigned a daily points value. Then, each item of food is also given a points value. You then eat literally whatever you want, so long as you stay within your points. Oh, and exercise gives you bonus points.

So, let me get this straight. I'm building an army list for myself using Codex: Food? And claiming objectives let's me summon additional units? This is awesome! This totally appeals to the gamer in me.

Let me throw down some numbers. They're not 100% accurate for those of you who will actually look into the system, but they'll get the idea across.

That leaves me 17.6 points to use for dinner. See how this works? It's basically just army list building with a couple of tweaks. I work a sort of standard 9 to 5 schedule and I've started bringing my lunch into work. I just "write out my list" the night before and make lunch for the next day. Then sticking to it since the food is ready for me is super easy.

I know this was a rambling post, but give it a shot. It's surprisingly effective. I've lost about 8 lbs so far out of the 30-40 I need to lose.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

I went to the Philadelphia Wizardworld Comic Con this past weekend and had quite a good time. By far, the biggest standout of the show for me was in the Artist Alley. I met a gent by the name of Mike Maydak who had an amazing style.

I eneded up picking up prints of his Boba Fett and Thanos w/Infinity Guantlet for my hobby room.

Seriously, check out his site and buy something. Email him to get a link to even more options. He has lots of comic book and Star Wars, etc. type paintings. I've just sent him an email actually to enquire about commissioning a Tau Fire Warrior painting. We'll see what he says.

Monday, June 23, 2014

So, I'm sitting here trying to decide what to do for my Sternguard marines. I want to make them different from regular Tacticals, but I don't want to use the GW Sternguard box. There are way too many bits and bobs. I don't want every marine to have so much decoration. I want them to look like Black Ops marines.

The guy who runs this place is great. He makes theses "Exolord" models, which are TOTALLY NOT Space Marines... wink, wink.

If you swap them out for GW heads and backpacks, they are the perfect Black Ops type marines. I think these are going to be my Deathwatch Sternguard models.

I have 10 on the way. The plan is to give at least one or two a meltagun and the rest standard bolters. I'll be dropping them from a Drop Pod, so they can pop in, kill a tank and they lay down some specialty ammo.

Here is an assortment of pictures that he has up as examples. Click on the Anvil Industries link above if you're interested in buying some! As you can see, there are Autocannon, Sniper Rifle and Missile Launcher options. He also has Heavy Bolter and Heavy Flamer options. Add in a full armory section on his website and you have combi-weapons and special weapons covered as well.

Friday, June 20, 2014

I was actually super productive this past week and actually finished all the painting on this model. I'm really happy with how he turned out.

I think I'm going to try to pick up a box of those new Fantasy Dark Elf models where it's a bunch of leaping females with two daggers and convert them up to be Death Cult Assassins. I'm pretty sure that will work out just fine.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I'm using a series of different tutorials from the various GW painting guides. To be perfectly honest, the Games Workshop : How to Paint Citadel Miniatures is well worth the $50, even for someone who considers themselves to be a pretty solid painter. It's easily the best tutorial DVD I've watched with the advantage that it comes with a book full of examples and paint schemes.

If you do not own this, buy it! You won't regret it.

I'm still not even remotely close to being finished, but I really like how this guy is coming together. For the skin, I used the Aurora Chapter Scout Face from the above book. I also used the Aurora Chapter Scout Leather for all the straps and belts and whatnot.

Monday, June 16, 2014

I just wanted to post a quick WIP shot of my Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Conversion to prove that I am actually working on it! I find the guilt of needing to post helps me focus and get some work done. It is my intention to spend a fair amount of time on this model and make him look snazzy. The boots and gloves will be leather and the backpack will be corroded metal. Probably a steam punk looking copper with the copper oxide corrosion look.

Keep in mind there is minimal layering on the face and no layering at all on the cloth.

Friday, June 13, 2014

I've always loved the Missionary model that I used as the basis for this conversion. I decided I wanted to go somewhat simple. I wanted an Inquisitor with his trusty Plasma Pistol, a Force Staff (Force Sword in game) and an array of grenades, pouches and communication gear. I like the idea that this guy is not a fighter, but a planner. The pistol is a last stand sort of option for him.

I love the Dark Angels bits and felt the little Grim Reaper bit would make a perfect staff topper. Add in a Space Marine Plasma Pistol, Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) Command Shoulder Pad and Voxcaster and you have a very simple conversion that I think will look nice on the battlefield.

The plan is to paint this guy up sometime next week and then post some pictures.

I'm currently debating on colors for the robe. I think something dark makes sense as he'll be with the Deathwatch Marines. Then again, maybe I'll go crazy bright and give him a full entourage. I really haven't decided yet.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

I started working on a 6 man unit of Sniper Scouts. I gave the Sarge a Power Fist... just because. He's a grizzled veteran Scout leader. He should have something better than a normal gun. I'm pretty happy with how the cloaks turned out. I wasn't sure what to use given the black armor, but I think this worked out all right.

I'll have more pictures soon. My plan is to know out the 6 scouts as the first unit of the army. Then I'll work on the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor conversion. I'm not going for anything fancy... just a basic dude with a Plasma Pistol and a Force Staff (which will be a Force Sword in game).

Friday, June 6, 2014

Per my last post, I'm going to start working on an Ordo Xenos/Deathwatch list. In no particular order, here are some of the things that I'd like to add. The various detachments would cover the different types of things I'd potentially want to have in an army. Everything would be painted/converted up to either look Inquisitorial or Deathwatch. Scouts would use Pig Iron Studios heads and any standalone Marine in power armour needs to have specialty ammo. That means I might add an Ultramarines detachment with Telion in a Sniper Squad and some Tyrannic War Vets to deal with Monstrous Creatures since they wound on 2's regardless of toughness.

Kantor gives Sternguard the Objective Secured USR, so the primary detachment would have Sniper Scouts to deploy near objectives in my deployment zone and Drop Pod Sternguard to deploy near objectives in my opponent's.

My next step is to go through and actually work out some points values to go with these detachments. I want to keep the allied ones relatively balanced so that I can take my core Crimson Fists as a primary and then either add GKs for some Terminator Goodness, or Iron Hands if I think Bikes are gonna be a must. Clan Raukaan would let me fortify two ruins, hunker down in cover and start shooting from range.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

I've loved the idea of running a Deathwatch army basically since I learned that they were a thing.

With the new Unbound army lists, I feel like now is the perfect time to put something together.

Your standard Deathwatch Marine is basically a Sternguard Veteran. They'll be forming the core of the army. Pedro Kantor gives all Sternguard Marines the Objective Secured special rule, so I think it makes perfect sense to take him as my Deathwatch Captain. He'll obviously be getting a black and silver paint job and will be losing the ridiculous banner. Nothing says "Shoot Me!" like a giant banner.

Deathwatch Captain - Pedro Kantor

I'll probably be deploying the marines via both Drop Pod and Stormraven. I already have a Stormraven painted up in Deathwatch colors. Adding a couple of Drop Pods should be a total non issue.

I'm debating on what to do for the Deathwatch shoulder pads. Below is the set that Games Workshop sells. The main issue with this set is that the heads are useless and I could take or leave the Bolters. The Bolters aren't bad, but I have a ton of sights that I can stick on regular Bolters. I'd essentially be spending $25 on 10 shoulder pads.

25 USD... Seriously? And the Shoulder Pads are smaller than current size.

For and extra $8, I can get a 5 man Grey Knights Strike Squad, complete with 5 awesome looking helmets and a whole array of snazzy shoulder pads. I think this is ultimately what I'm going to do. I'll take the bits I want and then if I can sell the rest for $8 or more, I've come out ahead of the game.

Note to Self: Buy More of These Guys!

Lastly, I'll have to convert up an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor. Someone needs to be sending these Marines off on their tasks, after all!

This is the coolest conversion I was able to find on Google Image Search. I'm thinking that something similar would be awesome.

Monday, June 2, 2014

I mixed together 3 drops of GW's Pink Horror color (shocking, I know) with 5 drops of water, mixed it together and applied it like a wash. It pools in the cracks and is ridiculously easy to paint. Now I just need to go back, do the detail work and the base. For the base I intend to use one of GW's newish texture compounds with the corresponding drybrush color.

...

I've been collecting and painting models since I was about 12 years old. My painting improved dramatically after a short stint working for Games Workshop. I'm always looking for the next challenge and the next skill I can learn.